Improving the Uptake of Humanitarian Market Analysis

Market assessments and market-based programming are now widely considered best practice in humanitarian programming, especially among food security and livelihoods actors. They are embedded in various standard-bearing initiatives, and there are a number of tools for emergency market analysis and monitoring aimed at non-specialist practitioners, including the well-known Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis (EMMA) Toolkit, and the Pre-Crisis Market Analysis (PCMA) guidance. Nonetheless, in reality, market analysis is conducted inconsistently, and even when it does happen, it does not always result in the uptake of market information and recommendations into actual program design or modification.

The persistent gap between standards and actual practice requires a reevaluation of how market analysis is conducted, and how the data from assessments is managed and put to use, in order for market-based programming to be consistently applied across humanitarian sectors.

The Improving the Uptake of Humanitarian Market Analysis program will promote the consistent collection and use of market data in the design, implementation and adaptation of preparedness, response and recovery programming across all sectors.